2011 Here We Go Again….WINNING?

 

Here we go…again.  I’m trying to re-launch this blog, and
am writing this entirely hungover and tired from last night’s Victoria’s Secret
swim party. Okay so maybe I shouldn’t be complaining. And maybe I shouldn’t
have waited until the night before

Cubs home opener to update my blog. Oh well.

 

So it’s been a minute since I’ve provided my unbiased
opinion on the Cubs. Between living in LA now working in entertainment as a
publicist, writing my first novel, and trying to fly back for my beloved Cubs,
it’s been a bit…challenging. I know no one reading this probably cares or your
care factor is most likely a -6, but I feel like I owe an explanation to my
readers.

 

Has it really been 365 days since the last home opener? And
yet, here we are. Thaw out the field, load up the beer kegs, stock up the bars
and raise the concession food prices (oh, and the ticket prices too) because
dammit it’s Cubs home opener and baseball season time. My favorite time of the year.

 

Usually I get sappy, emotional, angry, sad or all of the
above. I’m too tired to do that. I’m too tired to go over the starting line up,
and my duty is to comment on the off-season trades, the Rickett’s decisions in
salary updates, and our beloved pitching (Oh Zambrano did you learn anything in
anger management class?).

 

But you already know the line up. So I’m not going to
bother. However I heard rumblings that we may acquire Pujols if he becomes a
free agent. I personally know his agent out here in LA, but he won’t give me
any of the deets. Booo to you Danny my favorite MLB agent!

 

Let’s do a recap. Maybe you don’t need it, but I like to
re-live heartbreak:

Circa: 2008. Playoffs. Dodgers vs. Cubs. We got drilled.
Destroyed. Shot out of a cannon and left for dead. Whatever you call it, it was
devastating, terribly heartbreaking and speaking for myself – a very dark and
dreary November and December post-season blues. In fact, now that I’m re-living
that post-season gloom I remember I actually got dumped by a guy who said
watching a Cubs game with me when they are losing was not pleasant. He’s from
LA. Not a baseball fan. Why did I even date him again? Never mind.

 

Let’s go back farther:

Circa 2003:

On second thought….let’s not. Bartman anyone? Where is that
guy anyways?

 

Circa: 1998:

Oh boy…..not gonna go there either.

 

Need I say anymore? I think I’ve re-capped it well.

 

And yet, we prevailed. I’m talking about Cubs fans, not the
Cubs. We prevailed and somehow took our heavy hearts and recovered. Now I’m
getting sappy.

 

So here we are again.

First we have to ask ourselves, where are we at? We all know
how 2010 season ended up, in 4^th place in the division and not much
else to savor. There really wasn’t the glimmer of hope that often lingers, the
“maybe next year” that usually rolls off of our tongues didn’t have it’s normal
hope and sound to it.

 

And let’s not forget that in 2010 we lost our beloved Ron
Santo. I can’t re-launch my blog with out mentioning him. Never made it to the
hall of fame, and never saw his team win it all. Oh Ron how we miss you!

 

Now that I’ve plummeted this entire blog down the path of
misery I vote for some cheerleading. Everyone always asks me will the Cubs win
this year, what do you think of the Cubs? (As if I’m the expert…but hey I like
to think my opinion holds a morsel of weight).

 

My redeeming opinion: I honestly have no idea. I know,
that’s terrible. What kind of sports writing is that? It’s honest. Every year I
usually say, “this is the year!” but I just can’t this time. Remember when they
put Kerry Wood on the cover of SI in 2003? Look what happened! The curse of the
SI cover happened, yet I failed to believe in that curse (ha ha the Phillies
grace this year’s SI baseball issue).

 

I refuse to believe the curse of the billy goat. REFUSE.

 

And I refuse to believe that the Cubs CAN’T win it all. I
mean listen, it’s bound to happen. I vote for 2012, the world is supposedly
supposed to end, Mayan calendar, ya da ya da. Not this year. We’ll place 2^nd
in our division, or maybe make the wild card. I vote for next year. It would be
seemingly more fit to have them win the year the world ends.

 

For all of my beloved Cubs friends who will grace the Cubs
with your presence at tomorrow’s game, I am there in spirit. Actually I’ll be
listening to the game at work while it will be 78 degrees here in LA.

 

And for those of you that dare say I’m not a Cubs fan because I didn’t fly back for home
opener, I say to you:  read my
entire blog (if you haven’t already), then come check out my office, riddled
with Cubs signs, hats, whatever I can put in there. Or look at my past bank statements
dating back to who knows; every single year – from the game tickets to the bar
tabs, to cab rides (it all attributes to Cubs games), etc. I would say I’ve
spent roughly $189,645.23 on the Chicago Cubs. That’s probably estimating a bit
low. In fact I should send them an invoice. They owe me.

 

But in all seriousness, dress warm, bring the flask (if you
don’t have one you can use my Playboy flask I often used to bring to games), go
to Sluggers and say hi to Zack and David, and if it starts snowing or raining
drink more or buy a $15 poncho. They both work well against the elements.

 

For those of you who weren’t smart enough to read this entry
all the way down, Erin Heatherton (Victoria’s Secret Angel and Skokie, IL
native) will be throwing out the first pitch of the Mets series on Wednesday,
May 25^th compliments of yours truly, #1 diehard fan living in Los
Angeles, and I will be there for the entire series and so can’t wait to see my
boys!

And now I bit adieu, my first entry of the season. Blog re-launched, and I won’t post any pictures like I usually do until I get some from my photographers going to the game tomorrow (James, Lissette you know what to do!)

 

Hey hey whattya say, the Cubs are gonna win today!!

 

GO CUBS!!